Hydraulic dredging apparatus.



Patents-d Aug. 28,1900,

(Appiicaticm filed Apr. 28, 1900.

' 2 Sheets-Shut l.

(No Modgl.)

NOGRAPNKNG CO" WASHINGTON o c Patented Aug. 2:, I900. w. J. BRA'DLEY. HYDRAULIC DBEDGING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Apr. 28. 1900.1 (No Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheet 2.

WILLIAM NITE'D- STATES J PAT T OFFICE.

J. nRAnLEY,-oF. PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, nssienon o THE AMERICAN- DREDGING COMPANY, on sA nPLAoE.

' HYDI'RAULICDREDGINGAPPARATUS.

srncimon'rionre ning 'part of Letters Patent No. 656,503, dated August 21, mod

' Applioationfiled April 28,1900. Serial No. 14,7 0. human.)

T aZZ whom it may concern.-

eitizenof the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented specification.

certain Improvements in" Hydraulic Dredging Apparatus, of

My invention relates to certain improvements in hydraulic suction dredging apparatoe in which a suction-pipe is used in con nection with a poWer-driven-cutter for dislodging the materiai'whioh will pass up the suction-pipe to the pump and from thepump, to the soow or other receiver. In the most acceptable form of apparatus used prior to my invention theengineerdriving the 6%.

ter-head was mounted'directly upon the sucion-pipe. I found this construction was ob jeetionablefor many reason s-'.namely, that it required a very heavy pipeto withstand the vibration, and in some casesit was necessary to brace the pipeas Well as to strengthen the boom, "and, furthermore,.when the suction-pipe was mounted low on the dredge part of the engine would be underwater during the dredging operation.

The object of my inventionisto overcome the above-mentioned objections, andthis obcutter-head shaft carried'by the suction-pipe.

invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure '1 is a side view of sufiici'entof a dredging appa-' ratus to illustrate my invention, the View showing the bowof the dredge,- the suctionpipe, and cutter hea'd.-" Fig.2 is a plan view, drawn to an enlarged scale, illustrating my Fig. 3 isa side view of Fig. 2 with the dredge in section, and] Fig.4 is an end view of Fig. 3 with the dredge in section.

A is the dredge,- which may be of the ordinary type, having a fixed suctionpipeiG 9X-' tending to the ordinary suction-pump.

A is a base plate firmly secured to the'deck of the dredge, andmounted on this base-plate is theturn-table B, towhich is pivoted the suction-pipe D. Oonneciingthesuction-pipe is a .fiexihletubular connection D, one end voi which is coupled to the suction-pipe-D and the other to the pipe 0. This connection is which the following is a' readily allow for the movement of the suction-pipe-D. j On each side of this coupling extend arms (1 d, which are pivoted at d to the frame of the turn-table B,-so that as the i made of any suitable materiaL-so that .it'will I Be it known that, I, WILLIAM J .-BR-ADLEY,

suction pi'pe D is raised and lowered it swings V on these pivots. E E are the booms end of the jsnction pipe D is suspended .by meansof a rod eor 'achain. The ends of the booms rest insockets b in theturn table B. Suitable tackle is used for adjusting the booms in the ordinary manner; The turntable Bis mounted so as to turn upon the base-plate and can be fixed in theadjusted from which the outer position if desired, and as the booms and Sue;

tion-pipe are mounted on the turn-table they Willi-urn with it. I 5 .i

1 At the end of the suction pipe D is an open .1 I cutter-head F, having blades f.- The cutter head is mounted on the shaft G, carried by hearings g on the suction-pipe D. As the mud or othermateri'al is dislodged by the blades Q :of the cutter-head it will be drawn through-r 7 5 the cutter head and pass up the suction-pipe through the suction-pump to the scow. The particular. form of cutter-head shown is claimed in a separate application for a patent'filedof even date herewith. It will be understood that any form of cutter-head may be used without dep'art-ingfro m my invention.

The upper end of the shaft. G has a bevel wheel g. which meshes witha bevel-pinion h on the cross-shaft H, mounted in bearings 7t on the suction-pipe. On this shaft H is a gear-wheel H, which meshes with a ,gearwheel I on a shaft or stud inline with the pivot d of the suction-pipe D, so that no matter in what position thesuction-pipe maybe the wheels ,I and Hwill always'be in gear.

The wheel I, meshes with a pinion *6 on the crank-shaft J of a steam-engine or other motor K, mounted on the platform B of the turn-table B. The engine in the present 111-- 'stance is a two cylinder steam-engine having a frame 70, cylinders It, and connecting-rods coupled'to the crank-shaft J.

the. engineon the turn-table, which can be It will be seen that I am enabled to support firmly mounted upon the fonndation-plateof the dredgeand which will only be moved 2 Q Q I 656,503

' when the. tableis tiirned'on the'base-piate,

and, furthermore; the engine is at all times within easy reach of the en'gineo'm the steam. being conveyed to the same through an over-v head pipe with a swivel-joint, thu's dispens'- .j

ing-with fiexible steam-lcouplings. By mountt wanes I have found that when an engine was mounted on the sncti'ompip'e thevibra- I tion-was-so great that it was l-iahle'to strain the pipe as well ELS'IOOSGHIthG bearings of the shaft and a heavypipe had'to be nsed, it-w'as sornetiines neoessaryto brac'erthispipe cas Well as to st'rengthenthe 'b0om,-and when theengine, was mounted on the pipe and the suetion-pipe'hungliow on the dredge some 2o v duringthe'o erationof the dredge,whi ch was objeo'tionab o. By myinvention-I'am enabled to decrease theweight'of the pipeand-qse an ordinary-boom, thereis no Vibration'ofi the 1 25 the engine is clearof th'e water.

parts of the engine would be in the vWatei" pipe due tothe' Workingof the. 'engine,- -and Ielaim as my invention-e",

' agear-wheel ,injlinewith. the pivots of the Y and geared to thegear-wheel, said gear-wheel} 35 suction-pipe,- an engine mounted 'on the frame in turn being geared to thecutter-head shaft,

substantially as described.

2-. The combination in a dredging appairatus, of a base-plate secured to the d'eck' of the frame of the turn-tablei'a shaft haying 'tial-ly as described;

on one end of said shaft, a .gear-wheelin line with the pivotof the snctiongp'ipe and geared to-the' engine. and to the cutter-head shaft, the movable. suction-pipebeing connected to the fixedsnotion-pipe on the dredg'e, substan- 3. The combination of ai'bas e piata'a turnsuotion-pipe, #1 outter-headfimennted on one end of the -;sh'afit, beVel-gea'rat the other end of-.;jthe jshafhja} cross-shaft having a pinion meshing with thebeYeI-gear, a gear-wheel on its bearing onthe suo tion-pipm'a nutter-head 5. table mounted so asjto turn thereon, a suc- "tiompi'pe piv'otedjto theframe of theturn "table; a 'shafit mounted-in hearings on the said ,sh ft,e. ear- -wnee1 inon-nted on the turn-v 5 table-at the pijotphint of; the: suotio n-pipe, and meshing with the aforementioned gear-- wheel; anda'n engineer.motor mountedon 4. The'combina'tion' of the base-plate, a

turn-table mounted on said base-plate, said" 7 turnj-tablehavingan openfcenter' and having azplatfo'r-m at the to'p,- au engine or motor. g 1 inou-ntedonsaidiplatform,asuotion-pipe piv-" '1. The combination in' 4 a dredging a'ppaa j ratus of a-turn-tab1e,'a suction-pipepivoted to'the'to rn-tab1e, a shaftinouuted on th'e suo-..i ti'on-pip'e, a cutter-head carried bysaidshaft;v

v I have' signed niy "two subscribing "witnesses: v 'thedredge, a tu'rn-tablemonnted so as to turn I Y .on the 'base+plate, an-en'gine or, motoiicar'ried'; by the turn-table, a snctionepipep'ivoted to WIL IAM JLB RADLEY. VY-itnesses: [/7 'WILL'fA. BARR, 'I

[the tii'rn table, apinion'onj the driving-shaft ofsaid-engine or motor meshing with t-he gear- -wh'eel; substantial-11y as described; 1 s

.70- :QXtension passing through theopencenterof I V, the tnrn-table under-the platform andconiin'eoted-itothe sutionpipe of the'dredge, a] j'cuttei' shafgandaeutte'i on-theend of said H shaft,said cnttershaftj being' geared to the engineon the-platform substanltially as deg j.sQ d.-;- f '1 In" testimony -.-.whe re 'name to this. specification-Bin the presenee' of 

